Trillanes threatens to submit Duterte ‘admission’ on EJKs to ICC, also calls on to expedite probe

Manila, Philippines – Senator Antonio Trillanes IV in a
press briefing on Friday said that he is planning to submit a video and the
transcript of President Rodrigo Duterte’s supposed admission of guilt to orchestrating
extrajudicial killings before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The international tribunal has reportedly begun its preliminary
investigation into the alleged human rights violation of the Duterte
administration in the country.

The opposition senator also called on the ICC to expedite
its investigation on the charges filed against Duterte, following the remarks that
his only sin was the EJK.

“That admission will be taken seriously by the International
Criminal Court. So in this same vein, I would like to take this opportunity to
call on the ICC to expedite the investigation of the crimes against humanity
committed by Mr. Duterte against the Filipino people,” Trillanes said

He said that Malacañang cannot hide behind the defense that
the President was only joking when he made the comment.

President Duterte, however, said that there was no evidence
to involve him in the said EJK issue.

The chief executive has already declared the country’s withdrawal
from the ICC around March with an assurance to the United Nations that Philippines
will continue to adhere to the rule of law.

“The government affirms its commitment to fight against
impunity for atrocity crimes, notwithstanding its withdrawal from the Rome
Statute, especially since the Philippines has a national legislation punishing
atrocity crimes,” the government said in a letter addressed to the UN in March.

However, the coalition group from the opposition has asked
the Supreme Court (SC) to declare void from the beginning the country's
withdrawal from the Hague-based tribunal (or ICC).

The Philippine Coalition for the ICC has petitioned the SC
to declare the president’s withdraw as “void ab initio.”

In the said petition, the group argued Duterte gravely
abused his discretion and violated the constitutional system of checks and
balances by unilaterally deciding to withdraw the Philippines' membership from
the ICC, whose establishing treaty was ratified by the Senate in 2011.

Oral argument on this petition was reset on October 9, according
to reports.